Thursday, June 27, 2013

Kristin Billerbeck's Perfectly Ridiculous ~ Reviewed

PERFECTLY RIDICULOUS
By Kristin Billerbeck
Published By Revell
ISBN#978-0-8007-1974-6
247 Pages

Description: 

Daisy Crispin is at a crossroads. In one direction lies the promised land--life at college, away from her embarrassing and overprotective parents. In the other direction is reality--her strapped bank account, an ailing father, and family priorities. Daisy knows the "perfect" daughter wouldn't have to think twice. But maybe Daisy was never really perfect on any level, because she does not want her life to look the way her parents think it should. She won't let that stop her, though. Now that she has been given an exciting free trip to Argentina before going to college, she's thrilled--until her parents decide to go along with her. 

Hilarious and all too true to life, "Perfectly Ridiculous" gives teen girls more of what they want and love to read from Kristin Billerbeck.

Review: I’m thankful for the review copy of a very funny youth fiction novel. What a great surprise I had in reading a book by an author I hadn’t read before.

This book was easy and fun to read and follow even if this book was the third in the series. The author gave the readers hints as to what happened in the other books I wasn’t lost. The author caught the reader up on what they missed. It’s all good!  But it did peak my interest so much that I’ve added Perfectly Dateless book one and Perfectly Invisible book two to my reading list. You’ll be doing that too. I’ll just have to read for myself Daisy’s adventures in High School!

Daisy Cripin is the main character who’s honest, fun and has a way of looking at life that makes you smile and laugh out loud at times.  Kristen has intertwined parts of Daisy’s personal travel journal written in first person with that of the third person POV letting the reader experience the story as it unfolds and experience her interaction with friends and family. I liked the combination!

This author captures the emotion, struggles and how it feels to be in high school preparing to enter college.

Daisy says this, “Somehow I thought I’d feel different after graduation. Fulfilled? Maybe? Accomplished? Something?...Granted High School is better if one is acne-free, can afford Forever 21 clothes and manage to nab a boyfriend. Sadly, I was not one of those girls…my mother claims high school years were character building…I know its wrong to find my worth in what others think of me, or in material goods –my mother has told me so since birth, I believe. However, my mother buys upholstery fabric to make her own dresses. She claims it has more structure and works like a built in girdle. I think it just makes her look like furniture….We’re different my mom and I and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find out I was switched at birth.”

This is hysterical. I really enjoy how this author naturally weaves in the spiritual thread into the plot that has twists like a roller coaster and just as fun. Daisy says again in her journal,” Everything that happened before now is over, and I get to create a whole new future as a finance major at Pepperdine University in Malibu. Now I can focus on the future success …But there’s a let down no one tells you about. You’ve done it. You’ve accomplished your goal and graduated with honors and…and…Oh, did we forget to mention that no one cares?”

I instantly connected with Daisy and found her view on life honest and funny! This author had me smiling so much in this novel my face hurt! When’s the last time you read a book like that? Well now’s your chance!

I highly recommend this book just for fun and for your book club pick. There is definitely a lot to talk about, oh, and I’ll be checking out more books by this author that’s for sure.

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!

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